So, who's pledged? What did you choose? A basic $25 "Space Selfie" or a higher level? Any ideas about astronomical targets to aim the telescope or unique "Selfies" to send?

Greggy_D

I did within the first couple hours and chose the $99 level. When I left work today, the total amount was just over $40,000. Six hours later the amount pledged is over $217,000.

The "selfie" will be an HD family selfie, obviously in our best NASA garb.

Would loved to have ponied up for the $5K package, but the RR Auction beat them to it.

mode1charlie

Clever marketing, in a good way. Your pic, seen on orbit - I like it! $99 contribution made. Actually, I'd like to do a few of these for different family members, but didn't see an obvious way to do that in the various levels - anyone know how without creating different Kickstarter profiles?

They're off to a very fast start, by the way - over $200k in a little over 6 hours...

Robert Pearlman

quote:Originally posted by mode1charlie:...anyone know how without creating different Kickstarter profiles?

If you read what they say about "add-ons" you could probably donate more and then wait to be surveyed:

After the end of the Kickstarter campaign you will receive a survey that will ask you questions so that you can explain how you would like the add-on money assigned.

Otherwise, you'll probably have to set up additional Kickstarter/Amazon.com accounts.

Greggy_D

I set up an additional Kickstarter account for a second pic but used the same Amazon account for payment.

Robert Pearlman

And oh, yes, I pledged at $200 level. I wanted an HD Space Selfie to fly the collectSPACE logo (or maybe its new patch) and I have an idea for an astronomical target that I'd like to try capturing with the Arkyd.

spaced out

Wonderful idea. Reminds me of NASA's Your Face In Space but taken to the next level.

I too had the question about how to get multiple photos as I need two for my kids and would like to give others as gifts to nephews and nieces.

If multiple Kickstarter accounts can be tied to a single Amazon account for the payments then I guess that's the answer. All you need then is multiple email addresses.

Still, it would be nice to be able to re-pledge from the same account at a given level.

Another option that would be nice is a group package, e.g. to be able to buy 30 photos and some telescope shots for your kid's school class (anywhere in the world obviously). This would help inspire teaching about space, which can only be a good thing.

Robert Pearlman

quote:Originally posted by spaced out:Another option that would be nice is a group package, e.g. to be able to buy 30 photos and some telescope shots for your kid's school class...

The $5,000 "Education Ambassador" pledge level is basically that:

One K-12 school, university or museum (of your choice, if desired) will get the educational experience of a lifetime. Access to the Arkyd, plus teaching tools to make Science & Technology come alive:

25 Main Optic Observations to be directed by the teacher and students

30 (Digital) Space Selfies and 30 Mission Patches to provide to students

Educational Poster describing the technology that makes the ARKYD work.

Access to a curriculum and tutorial developed by the team at Planetary Resources, in collaboration with educators

A full size desktop model of the ARKYD as a teaching tool with the pledger name (if desired) etched into it.

1-Year Membership to Planetary Society

spaced out

Except that as I read it the goodies will go to a 'K-12' school - i.e. this couldn't be used to give the photo/telescope use to a regular school outside of the US.

In any case I've gone for another approach. Using multiple email accounts, as suggested above, I've taken a couple of 'selfie' options for my kids plus a couple of selfie/main optic options which I intend to give to their school classes when the time comes. That way their class can take a special photo or paint a picture to upload and they can choose one target for an image from the telescope.

Here's hoping everything works out for the project and eventually in 2015 the launch, deployment and the satellite itself.

Robert Pearlman

Just for clarification: "K-12" school is just a generic term for an institution other than a university or college (in the states, it would encompass elementary, middle, junior high and high schools). As Planetary Resources says:

At the $1,500, $5,000 and $10,000 levels, we will ask you to identify the school of your choice once the campaign finishes.

spaced out

Thanks Robert, that term did confuse me.

I see that they've just tipped the 5,000 backers level and are over the half way mark in terms of funding.

Out of interest I've tried to work our where my 'selfies' fall in the queue, taking into account the priorities specified at the different levels and the order in which pledges were placed.

At the specified rate of 150 a day my examples are currently sitting at roughly 17 and 19 days in the schedule (they'll be pushed back by new higher priority pledges).

By my count, pledges being received today at non-prioritized levels are going to be at around 29 days. All very approximate of course, but it's nice to have a rough idea.

Robert Pearlman

Here's an update from Planetary Resources' Chris Lewicki:

Rocketman!

I'm in for $99. I like the notion of helping to inspire young people to be interested in space ... and in science in general.

They passed the three-quarter mark on their way to their funding goal, today, with 26 days to go. I think I was number 8,100.

Robert Pearlman

An update from Planetary Resources:

As we approach our campaign goal at the one million mark, we are gearing up to announce one of the most audacious stretch goals on Kickstarter.

If we reach our primary goal by Monday, we’ll announce enhancements that will open the ARKYD to new frontiers of astronomy and put your selfies on the fast track.

We are encouraging each of YOU to recruit ONE person to support ARKYD at the $25 dollar level by Monday.

To help get us there, we’ve created two new pledge levels that many of YOU have been asking for: The Space Selfie Five-Pack for Friends and Family (Basic and HD).

Robert Pearlman

Planetary Resources has announced their "stretch goal" should the campaign surpass its original $1 million goal and reach $2 million: enable ARKYD to identify extrasolar planets.

Alien planets are out there and Planetary Resources needs your help to find them! That's right, the same high-powered telescope technology being used by Planetary Resources to identify near-Earth asteroids can also be used to hunt for what scientists call extrasolar planets or "exoplanets" – which are very much alien worlds. For the first-time ever, this capability will be placed directly into the hands of students, researchers and citizen scientists.

Planetary Resources recently launched a campaign on Kickstarter for the ARKYD – the world's first crowdfunded space telescope accessible to the public. In only 13 days, the company has already reached well over 85 percent of its original US$1 million goal. Today, the company is announcing that if the total amount pledged exceeds US$2 million in the 19 days remaining in the campaign, it will invest the additional funds to enhance the ARKYD space telescope technology to enable it to search for alien planets!

These upgrades would add exoplanet transit detection capability by enhancing the telescope's stability systems and dedicating time to monitor candidate star systems. A special bonus is that this upgrade would also allow for better measurement of the spin-properties of asteroids, using the same technique. "While the ARKYD won't rival NASA's US$600 million Kepler spacecraft, which may have to end its mission due to a recent equipment failure, the enhanced ARKYD will be a huge step toward important new scientific discoveries enabled by citizen scientists," said Chris Lewicki, President and Chief Engineer, Planetary Resources, Inc.

The company is partnered with one of the world's leading exoplanet scientists, Sara Seager, Ph.D. of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Dr. Seager, Professor of Physics and Planetary Science at MIT stated, "We're excited about this game-changing approach that could transform how we do science in the future. It's not just about advanced technology in a small satellite, but a crowdfunded approach to space science that could be revolutionary. The enhanced version of the ARKYD telescope will be an important source of data for exoplanets that can only be obtained from space, above the blurring effects of Earth's turbulent atmosphere."

Rocketman!

I wrote up a little feature about Planetary Resources and my plans for my "selfie", on my art portfolio web site.

One day about two or three years from now 'Spaceship Earth' will make another appearance in orbit around this planet. I hope they like seeing a unique way of using the ARKYD - as an orbiting art gallery.

Robert Pearlman

Planetary Resources' Kickstarter campaign is very close to meeting its $1 million goal more than a week early.

Planetary Resources' ARKYD public space telescope has reached — and surpassed — its $1 million crowd-funding goal! Onwards to $1.5 million and $2 million stretch goals with 11 days to go in the Kickstarter campaign...

New $1.5M Mystery Stretch Goal Revealed!When we reach $1.5 Million in pledges, every selfie pledge or higher will receive an exclusive digital Beta-Selfie, taken next year during the crucial integration phase of spacecraft build! Become a part of the build and catch a glimpse of our clean-room squad in action!

Robert Pearlman

Planetary Resources' ARKYD Kickstarter campaign ends tonight.

Well here we are, in the final hours of our crowdfunding campaign. We have a lot in store for you during our live finale event, beginning at 3:00 p.m. PDT today through the close of our Kickstarter campaign at 7:00 p.m. PDT. But before all of that fun starts, we wanted to share with you some exciting news.

We are pleased to announce that Sir Richard Branson has joined Planetary Resources' core group of investors.

"I'm excited to be part of the Planetary Resources’ team working on extracting precious minerals from near Earth asteroids. The only way to truly explore our Solar System is to develop the technology and means to sustain our presence in space without depleting resources of Earth." — Richard Branson, Chairman of the Virgin Group.

AND... he is so excited that the ARKYD will provide unprecedented public access to space, he has generously made his own campaign pledge of $100,000 to support interactive programming to strengthen STEM education, and to move us closer to our remaining three stretch goals.

spaced out

Due to the lack of necessary follow-on support, we are saddened to announce that we are unable to fulfill the "ARKYD: A Space Telescope for Everyone" campaign.

Very sad to see that the project has been ended.

Full refunds are much appreciated but I would have loved to get those space telescope shots and 'space selfies'.

Robert Pearlman

On the upside, the Arkyd 100 is going forward as Ceres, an advanced Earth observation constellation, thanks to Planetary Resources securing $21.1 million in Series A funding.

Greggy_D

I had very high hopes for this project but it never seemed to move forward with any momentum.